Science and art is back to the Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência (IGC). In the next 6 months, ALAgrApHY, artistic name of Alaa Abi-Haidar, will be helding an artistic residency at the IGC. He will be working on an artistic visualization of data generated by IGC scientists, using artificial intelligence.

Alaa Abi-Haidar’s profile is quite unique: he is both scientist and artist. He holds a PhD in Informatics by Indiana University (USA) and was a post-doctoral fellow at the University Pierre and Marie Curie, in Paris. Currently, he is doing research in Paris on artificial intelligence and data science. In parallel, he is also a photographer, painter and filmmaker. Recently, ALAgrApHY has been working as artist-scientist, exploring concepts of machine-generated art.  He uses artificial intelligence and machine learning – more specifically deep learning – to teach machines to generate art. His work has been shown successfully in many venues, including the Salon Comparaison at Grand Palais in Paris (that will host another of his shows in February 2019) and at the Salon d’Automne on Champs-Élysées, a venue known for witnessing the launch of cubism and fauvism movements. In this last venue, ALAgrApHY won the “prix d’art digital”. 

In July 2017, within the frame of “Summer Garden” programme, the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation exhibited “The Art and Science of Travelling”, an awarded movie of ALAgrApHY.